Having already postponed a threatened strike once, Merck Serono employees are planning a job action for next week, depending upon whether the drugmaker accepts at least one of three proposals that were submitted yesterday. The move comes two months after the Merck KGgA announced that Merck Serono headquarters in Geneva would be closed and some 1,250 jobs would be eliminated. The employees, along with the Unia trade union, have suggested the drugmaker keep its Geneva office, with employees accepting salary cuts and a two-year increase in efficiency of up to 30 percent, according to genevalunch.com. Another idea is for Merck to maintain a high-tech research center in Geneva that would employ 300 people and give special partner status to start ups created by employees who leave. The third possibility would create a $68 million fund to help staff create start ups.